Method of and apparatus for handling beets



1930. L. B. NEIGHBOUR ET AL 1,787,161

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING BEETS Filed June 29, 1925 6 Sheets-Sheet, 1

Dec. 30, 193%. 1.. B. NEIGHBOUR ET AL.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING BEETS il June 1925 6 Sheets-Sheet. 2

6 Sheets-Sfieet a L. B. NEIGHBOUR ET AL Filed June- 29, 1923 HI, CECCECECCCFQCQEHZU METHOD OF KN'D APPARATUS FOR HANDLING BEETS Dec; 30, 1930.

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METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING BEETS Filed June 29, 1925 6 Sheets-Sheet, 4

Im entorg 7% Mffwmm, 3(0), 193%. L. B. NEHGHBOUR ET AL METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING BEETS 6 Sheets-Sheet. 5

Filed June 29 1923 3Q, 1939., L. B. NEBGHBOUR ET AL 1,737,161

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING BEETS I Filed June 29, 1925 s Sheets- Siam; e

' Inv n 07's War JV, MW

Patented Dec. 30, 1930 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE LEONARD IB. NEIGHBOUB AND FREDERICK A. THOMANN, OF EAST MOLINE, ILLINOIS,

ASSIGNOBS TO DEERE & COMPANY, OF MOLINE, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLI- NOIS METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING BEETS Application filed June 29,

large piles for storage until cars are available.

Such beets are sold by weight and as they usually have attached to them a considerable amount of soil it is desirable that before such beetsare placed in the railway cars or piled 1 up awaiting shipment such soil be separated from them to as great an extent as possible. It is the leading object of our invention to provide an improved method and apparatus 4 for effecting1 such a separation immediately following t e dumping of a load of beets from a wagon, and causing the soil that is ,so separated from the beets to be accumulated in a receptacle from which it can be returned to the wagon,the advantage of such operation being two-fold, viz, it permits the net weight of the load of beets to be ascertained by deducting the weight of the wagon and the soil that has been returned to it from the. ascertained weight of the wagon with both beetsand soil in it, and it also ensures that the full weight of soil so separated from the beetsmay be promptly deposited in the then empty wagon for return, if desired, to the field where the beets were harvested. We attain this object in the manner hereinafter described, the mechanism shown being one that has been found very effective in practlcing our improved method. In the drawings,-

Fig. l is a perspective view of anapparatus embodying our invention (a portion of one of the members thereof being partly broken of the receiving hopper that constitutes the intermediate one of the three principal members of the apparatus, the view also showing the conveyor element that is supported therein and the driving connections etween said conveyor and the lower portions of an 1nclined beet elevator located at one end of sald 1923. semi in. 648,445.

Fig. 5 is a substantially central longitudi- =nal' section ofthe right-hand portio'n (as viewed in Fig. 1) ofthe a paratus, and illustrating an end part of t e hopper that appears in Fig. 4 and also showing the soil elevating, retaining and dumping means;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross-section through the ho per, the section being taken at line 6-6 0 ig. 5; v

Fig. 7 is a view partly in plan and partly in horizontal section at the line 7--7 of Fig. 2, the view illustrating the arrangement of the pivoted levers by which the soil receiving and dumping member is held locked in place;

Figs. 8 and 9 are views taken, respectively, on the section lines 8-8 and 99 of Fig. 7

Fig. 10 is a detail being an enlarged sectional view of the soil receiving and dumping member; and

ig. 11 is a side elevation in dumping position of the receiving and dumping memher that is shown in Fig. 10, a portion of the tower-like framework that supports such member being also shown.

When a wagon load'of beets is dumped there is some loosening of the dirt adhering to the beet bodies, due to their movement while sliding and falling upon the ground or into the receptacle placed to receive them,

. but the greater part of the dirt is not loosened by the dumping operation, and the removal of the dirt that continues to adhere to the beet bodies is a problem which prior to our invention has not been satisfactorily solved. Our improved method, however, efiiciently accomplishes this purpose, and it consists in depositing the beets in mass in a suitable receptacle, such as a hopper, having a perforated false bottom adapted to support the beets while permitting the loosened dirt to sift through it, and inducing a commotion in the mass by moving the beets constituting the lowermost portion thereof along under and relatively to the superimposed mass, so that the consequent agitation and the attrition of the beets one upon another loosens the dirt adhering to the beet bodies and perprocess, the beets in the lower part of the mass are. moved along out of the receptacle so that themass is gradually depleted from below, and the process conti nues until the mass is reduced to a sin le layer of clean beets which passes out of t e receptacle in due course. This process is practiced with the beets and dirt in a dry state, so that the dirt' when loosened sifts through the mass and passes down to the bottom of the receptacle, from which it is removed separately from the beets and when weighed 1ts weight accurately represents the tare. If water were used, obviously these results could not be obtained. While this method of operation is particularly advantageous for use in connection with sugar beets, we wish it to be understood that it may also be applied .to the treatment of other articles under analogous conditions, and therefore our invention is not limited to its application to beets alone.

In practicing our improved method we prefer'to do so by the use of an apparatus such as that illustrated in the accompanying drawings and as hereinafter described, but

our invention may be practiced by the use of other forms of apparatus.

Referring to the several figures of the drawings,-A, B and G indicate the three principal elements of the apparatus employed in the handling of beets and the soil that is dislodged therefrom after such beets and soil have been dumped from wagons, or otherwise, into the central or hopper member A of the mechanism. Each of the three principal members referred to comprises an endless conveyor which conveyors are adapted to be simultaneously and continuously driven from a suitable source of power which, as here shown, is an ordinary gasoline engine 15 that is mounted upon and preferably adjacent to one side of a frame 16 provided with wheels,

two of which are shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and indicated by 17. Adjacent to the engine 15 there is shown a gasoline supply tank 18. The endless conveyor'for the elevator B may be of any suitable character adapted when beets are transferred to it to properly hold the same and'carry them upward to the point be a similar shaft and other sprocket wheels over which latter the chains pass. We have not deemed it necessary to show more than the lower portion of the elevator, as, genave-1,101

erally speaking, the construction and operation of such a device are well understood. However, the elevator that we prefer to em- .ploy is of the construction shown in Letters Patent, No, 1,473,795, dated November 13,

1923, granted upon the a plication of the ap- A plicant, Neighbour, whic elevator is one that may be turned to stand in an inclined position as represented in the drawings, or when not desired for use may be turned to lie in a substantially horizontal position upon its supporting frame 6-all as described in said Letters Patent. The conveyor in the elevator B is driven from the. engine through a chain 23 that passes over a sprocket on the shaft of the engine 15 and over a sprocket 24 that is fast on a shaft 25 that also has secured to it, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, a pinion 26 that meshes with a gear 27 fast on a shaft 28, and with which latter shaft there is connected a sprocket (not shown) located at-the op osite side of the elevator from that seen in ig. 2', and over this latter sprocket and'a sprocket 29 that is shown iii Fig. 4 runs a chain 30.-

- Turning, now to the central principal memher A of the mechanism, it is seen by reference to the drawings to consist of a horizontally elongated receptacle in the form of a long, wide open topped body closed at that end that is farthest removed from the elevator B by a vertical wall 31, (see Figs. 1 and 6).

Projecting centrally from the opposite end wall 32 is an open topped extension 33, the bottom of which inclines upwardly towards 1ts outer end, which outer end, as clearly Elm shown in Figs. 3 and 4;, overlies the boot or lower end of the elevator B. The main or wider portion of this receptacle or hopper has inwardly and downwardly inclined bottom pieces 34 adapted to direct the beets that are dumped into the hopper into a long rectangular shaped trough 35 that extends centrally of and forms the lower part of the hopper and corresponds in width and registers with the extension piece 33. The upper marginal portions oft is trough are turned and lie against and are secured to the inclined bottoms 34 whose inner edge-portions projectbeyond the vertical walls of the trough, as clearly shown in Fig. 6. As best shown in Fig. 3, these inner marginal portions of the downwardly inclined members 3 1 diverge from the end wall 31, so that the space between them gradually increases in width from the end wall 31 to the opposite end wall 32, the objectof which will be explained hereinafter. Extending across the trough 35 and located about midway of the height thereof are secured at intervals to its side walls crossstrips 36, and similar cross-strips are secured at a similar distance above the inclined lower wall of the extension 33, and secured upon such cross-strips are a series of Ion 'tudinal ly-disposed slats 37 that are space apart so as to permit soil dislodged from the beets to readily pass through, but close enough together to prevent any of the beets from dropping between the slats. These cross-strips and slats constitute a reticulated false bottom for the hopper that is substantially co-equal ther ewith 'in length. Adjacent to the end wall 31 its effective surface, that is to say the surface exposed between the inclined members 34, is comparativel narrow, but, as above indicated, it gra ually increases in width toward the opposite end wall 32 until the entire width of the slats is exposed where they form the bottom of the extension member 33. An endless conveyor is provided for this hopper which is movable through the trough 35 of the hopper and through-the extension 33. Such conveyor comprises two chains 38 connected at intervals by crossbars 39, such cross-bars being adapted, as clearly shown in Fig. 6, to move over the longitudinal slats 37 and in close proximity thereto so that, as will be understood, any beets lying on such slats will be swept along. The lower run of the endless conveyor is so positioned with respect to the bottom of the trough 35 and the inclined bottom of the extension 33-which bottoms are smooth and imperforate-that the cross-bars 39 of the conveyor will be very close to or in actual contact with such smooth bottoms, so as to sweep or move therealong the soil that has become dislodged from beets dumped into the hopper, and falling through between the slats 37. Thus, as will be apparent, the endless conveyor of this member of the apparatus is utilized by having its upper run or portion move the beets in the lowermost portion of the mass contained in the hopper in one direc-. tion in a substantially horizontal plane, while at the same time its lower run or portion will act to move the soil in the opposite direction.

As best shown in Fig. 6, longitudinally-extending angle irons 40 are secured to the lower portions of the side walls of the trough 35 to properly guide the lower run or portion of the conveyor, so that its crossfbars 39 will be held in effective working condition relatively to the bottom of such trough 35. At the point where the conveyor turns upward so as to conform to the upward inclination of the bottom wall of the extension member 33, there are provided idler sprockets 41, 42, as shown in Fig. 4, to holdthe conveyor chains in proper position, both with respect to the upper slatted false bottom that the beets'rest on and the smooth imperforate bottom of the trough that the soil settles on.- Against the inner face of the end wall 31 of the hopper member is provided an inclined deflector plate '40 that, like the inclined walls 34, will direct beets that are thrown into the hopper onto the conveyor.

The side walls of the hopper are in the form of movable members 43 that are hingside walls.

edly secured at 44 along their lower margins. Any suitablelatching means for holding each of these swinging side pieces in upright or closing position may be provided. When, however, beets are to be dumped into the hopper from one side, it is desirable to let the hinged wall at that side swing outward, but at the same time. hold it yieldingly so that its upper edge portion will constantly bear against the wagon that is being dumped to discharge its contents into the hopper, the yieldingly held side piece thereby constituting a close connection between the hopper and the wagon that will prevent any beets being lost by falling between the wagon and the side of the hopper. For so holding such side wall there is shown a coiled spring 45 attached to one end of a link 46, which at its other end is pivoted to a bar 47 slidably mounted uponthe upper edge of each of the end walls of the hopper. By a shifting of that bar 47 transversely of the hopper, the spring may be utilized in connection with either one of the hinged This construction of holding either one of the hinged side walls in the manner described is not, however, claimed herein, as it is not'jointly our invention, but is the invention of theapplicant Thomann, and forms the subject matter of an application filed by him June 29, 1923, Serial No. 648,468.

In practice a wagon load of beets is deposited in the hopper in mass and rests on the conveyor therein, or, more accurately speaking, on the slatted false bottom of the hopper. Such false bottom may, however, be regarded as a part of the conveyor, since it supports the beets being moved by the traveling member of the conveyor. In other words, the slatted or otherwise perforated false bottom, together with the chains 38 and cross-bars 39 constituting the upper flight of the conveyor, cooperate not only to form a perforated false bottom for the hopper, but also an intersticed traveling conveyor. When the conveyor, which is relatively long and narrow, starts to move under the mass, the beets resting immediately on the conveyor are drawn along by it under and relativelyto the superimposed beets, thereby causing a. turmoil or commotion in the mass, which agitation and the consequent attrition of the beets one against an other loosens-the dirt so that it sifts through the mass and, passing through the conveyor or false bottom, is deposited in the lower portion of the receptacle where it is taken by the lower run or flight of the conveyor and withdrawn from the receptacle toward the right, as viewed in Figures 1 and 4. The beets resting on the upper run of the conveyor are carried along under the mass to the left and pass out of the receptacle to the elevator B, the space occupied by the.

and been conveyed in the opposite direction beets withdrawn being filled from above by the settling of the mass due to its depletion in the manner described. The latter beets are taken up'by-the entering portion of the conveyor traveling throu h the hop.- per, and in their turn are moved along under the mass until they also leave the hopper. Thus the mass of beets in the hopper is gradually depleted from below as the conveyor travels until finally all the beets are withdrawn. So long as there is more than one 1a er of beets in the hopper the agitation above described continues, with the result that before they are delivered to the elevator B the beets will have been thoroughly cleansed of adhering dirt. In the meantime the dirt removed from them, as well as any loose earth deposited in the hop'- per with the beets, will have sifted gradually through the upper run of the conveyor bythe lower run thereof to the point where it is disposed of in the manner hereinafter described.

-The endless conveyor used in connection with the hopper member is driven by the following means: 0n an end portion of the shaft 28 is fixedly secured a sprocket 48 (see Fig. 2) over which runs a sprocket chain 49 that also passes over a sprocket wheel 50 that is fast on one end of a short horizontal shaft 51 that is supported at the'upper end of an appropriately-shaped casing 52. In this casing and fast on the shaft 51 is a bevel gear 53 that meshes with. another bevel gear 54 fast on a vertical shaft 55 that at its lower end carries another bevel gear 56 that is in mesh with a bevel gear 57 mounted on a short horizontal shaft 58, said shaft 58 being detachably journaled in bearings carried by rigid arms 59 that are bolted to and project up from the extension member 33 of the hopper. Over a sprocket that is also fast on said shaft 58 runs a chain 60 that engages over a sprocket on the projecting end of a shaft 61 that carries the sprockets with which the chains 38 of the conveyor are engaged-the other sprocket over which these conveyor chains run being mounted-on a shaft b1 (see Fig. 5) adjacent to the endwall 31 of the hopper. The casing 52 for,

. nature of a swivel connection of the two principal elements A and. B, whereby the elevator member is permitted to be turned at any desired angle relatively to the hopper member so as to carry the beets in different mama-1 directions; which: =-i"s= importanhpartieulafly when the heetsarwtobe' staekedup in. long 'pilesi *This swivel eonnectio1rofthe two Patent No. 1 ,473,795i The hopper member' A',-*-"wh'ich also includes the comparatively narrow extension 33 thereof, is mounted upon "a heavy wheeled frame 63,b'eing"secured to suchframe in any usual manner,-'and the frame itselfbeing mounted upon wheels to adapt it to be moved from place to place. *The front wheels-ofthe frame are indicated by 64'and that one of the rear wheels that is shown'i-s indicated by 65.'

'In the construction shown thehopper member. is of a length to extend over the greater .portion of the wheeled frame, and

upon that portion of the supporting frame immediately forward'of theend'wall31 of the hopper is secured -the'third principal element of the mechanism-which has been designated generallysby C.' This element C, in theconstruction'shown, comprises an open or skeleton-like framework which rises to a considerable height,-'and therefore from its form and height may',---for lack of a better name, be termed atower. The various parts of this tower will be braced and connected together in any usual'way so as to forma strong and rigid structure. Depending from the wheeled supporting frame 63 and suitably secured thereto is a heavy boot or receptacle 66 extending transversely of said supporting frame and located against the outer face of the end wall 31 of the hopper, such end wall having in its lower portion a large opening with which the open end of the boot registers so that. as will be plain from an inspection of Fig. 5, the soil that is carried along on the bottom of the trough by the conveyor therein will be swept into the boot. The tower member is equipped with an endless conveyor apparatus comprising two chains 67 spaced at a considerable distance apart, between which chains and supported by them are a series of buckets 68 adapted to he moved through 7 the boot 66 and scoop up the soil that has been deposited therein as stated-the soil so taken up by the buckets being carried up to the top of the tower and dumped into a receptacle that will be hereinafter'described. The vertical portions of the path of travel of these conveyor chains are, in the construction shown, opposite the front and rear of the tower member. As shown, these chains pass over two sprockets 69 mounted on a shaft 7 0 that passes through the boot 66, the other pairs of sprockets being indicated, respectively, by 1, 72, 73, 7-1 and 7 5, the several shafts for which are suitably supported by bearings connected with the framework of the tower. The shaft for one of these pairs of sprockets will preferably be mounted in adjustable bearings as usual, as is shown in connection with the shaft for the sprockets 74. The pair of sprockets 71 at the rear uppercorners of the tower are considerably higher than the pair of sprockets 7 3 at the front upper corners of the tower, so as to ensure an overturning of the buckets as they are carried over the tower, and thereby cause the discharge of their contents while over the tower. The pair of sprockets 72 serve to hold the chains in a sharply inclined positionwh'ile passing over the tower, and thereby ensure the dumping operation being performed, as well as serving to maintain the chains in taut condition. The driving of these endless conveyor chains 67 is accomplished through a drive chain 7 6 that passes over a sprocket fast on a projecting end portion of the shaft 61" and around a' sprocket that is fast on an end portion of the shaft that the sprockets 75 are mounted on..

In the upper end portion of the tower member C is located a receptacle into which the soil that is carried up by the buckets 68 is deposited when such buckets are turned as hereinbefore described. This receptacle is indicated generally by 77 and is formed in the construction shown with two side walls and a floor, but without any fixed end walls. The end portions of its floor, however, are hingedly connected at 78, 78 to the fixed central portion'79 of such floor. These outer hinged portions of the floor are each indicated by 80. Each hinged section 80 is adapted when turned to stand at substantially an angle of 45 to have its' outer marginal portion come approximately to the upper margins of the side walls, and will, when secured in such position, constitute an end closure for the receptacle 77. As shown, it is adapted to be secured in such inclined position by a rod 81 that can be passed through alined holes 82 in the side walls. It is contemplated that only one such movable section 80 shall be turned up at the same time and secured in the inclined position shown at the left hand side of Fig. 10, whereby the other end of the receptacle is left open for the discharge of soil therefrom when the receptacle is tilted as hereinafter described. The provision of this sharply inclined floor member, secured in that position as stated, serves not only as a closure for one end, but acts, as will be understood, to direct the soil that may be dumped into the receptacle toward the open end, so that when the device is to be tilted to discharge the contents from that open end the weight of the soil between that open end and the central pivot on which the device turns will be so much greater than the weight at the other side of said pivot as to very greatly aid in the tilting operation. By having the two pivoted sections in the dumping operations.

80, the one at either end may be utilized as an inclined closure member so that the dumpin of the contents may be effected at either si e of'the tower as may be more convenient.

At opposite sides of the central portion of the fixed member 79 of the floor are two heavy depending brackets 82 which are riveted to the angle iron sections that stiffen the marginal portions of the floor, and through these depending brackets passes a shaft 83 upon opposite end portions of which are mounted wheels 84 that respectively rest upon tracks 85 extending transversely of the tower and secured to the front and rear upright members of such tower. Each of. these tracks 85 inclines outwardly and downwardl from a central point,as clearly shown in igs. 1, 2-

and 11. When in horizontal or soil-receiving position the receptacle 77 will have its wheels 84 resting substantially upon the highest points of these tracks 85, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and while as will presently be explained other wheels carried by the receptacle and running upon other tracks aid in sustaining the weight of the receptacle and its contents, the chief reliance for this isplaced upon the wheels 84 and their tracks-the other wheels and tracks referred to serving principally as guiding and stead ing means uch other wheels are four in number, and are each indicated by the reference numeral 86. One of these wheels 86 is located adjacent to each lower corner of the receptacle 77, being rotatably mounted upon a pin projecting from the adjacent wall of the receptacle; Two downbers and upper cross-bars of such tower.=

Upon each one of these tracks one of the wheels 86 is adapted to run. The tracks of each pair are inclined downwardly in the same manner that the two branches of each track 85 are, but, as is clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 11, they are considerably more sharply inclined than are the branches of the tracks 85 whereby, as will be evident from an inspection of Fig. 11, when the receptacle is moved down into tilting position it will be given a sharp downward inclination to better ensure a complete discharge of its contents. During such dowward tilting movement the receptacle will be free to turn as required about the wardly, as shown, to facilitate the wheels 86 passing off from and returning to such tracks uring the movements of the rece tacle. Arranged above and parallel with t e tracks 87 are rails 88 that are secured rigidly to the framework of the tower, which rails are so positioned-as to lie over and engage with the wheels 86 so as to hold the wheels 86 that are in the upermost position during the dumping operation of the rece tacle from leaving their tracks. For roper y stopping the turning movement of the receptacle when it has passed a proper dumping position, as in Fig.

'11, we provide cross-strips 89 that are riveted between upright members ofthe tower, against one of which cross-strips the reinforced upper edges of the side walls of the receptacle 77 will strike. For returning the receptacle 77 to proper load-receiving position after each dumping operation, we .provide a stron coiled spring 90 which, as shown, is attache at one end to the central portion of one of the cross-beams of the tower and at its other end is connected through a link 91 with the shaft 83 of the sup orting wheels 84. Such a spring will prefera ly be employed at each side of the receptacle and these springs will by their pull ordinarily be sufficient to cause a return to load-receiving position after each dumping operation, but if such springs do not so function immediately upon the discharge of the load, it willonly be necessary for an attendant to give a short upward push on the depending downturned end of the receptacle, whereupon the springs will function to complete the return movement.

To hold the receptacle 77 in its approximately horizontal or soil-receivin position, two transversely disposed pivote levers 92 are provided which are located across one end of the tower structure, each lever being pivoted at one end to one of the upright corner members of the tower, such pivotal points being indicated by 93. The'free ends of these levers project respectively beyond the sides of the tower, so as to be operable by an attendant who will ordinarily be on a wagon into which the soil from the receptacle is to be dumped. Each lever carries affixed to it a downwardly extending plate 94:, which plates, when the receptacle 77 is in soil-receiving position, lie at op osite sides of the shaft 83 and serve as' latches to prevent the wheels on that shaft from rolling in either direction on the tracks 85. Each of the adjacent upright members of the tower have secured to them slotted keeper plates 95 through which the free ends of the latch levers respectively project. When it is desired to dump the contents of the receptacle, the free end of that lever which is pivoted at the opposite side of the tower from that toward which the rece tacle is to tilt into dumping position is to he moved up, which movement will release the latch carried by such lever from its engagement with the shaft, and thereupon the recepintervals.

tacle will tilt downward in the manner hereinbefore described-the excess of wei ht of material at that side of the center of t e receptacle being ordinarily suflicient to ensure the dumping movement, but if for any reason the receptacle does not so move, a slight pull by the attendant will readily start it, When the em ty receptacle moves back under the action of the springs 90, the lever 92 that has previously been used to release it will be forced up by contact of the shaft 83 with the beveled lower edge of the latch on that lever,

as will be understood, and as such shaft passes that latch the lever will drop and the receptacle thus be held again in locked position. As will be readily understood from the construction described, the contents of the receptacle 77 can be discharged equally well at either side of the tower and, according to theside at which. thedumping is to be effected, one or the other of the hinged sections 80 of the floor will be raised as hereinbefore explained. 1

While of course the beets to be acted upon may be placed in the hopper member A in any desired manner, it is preferable from many standpoints to so tilt the wagon that brings them to the apparatus as to deposit the whole we on load in the hopper at one operation, an to that end we have shown in Fig. 1 a wagon hoist that is indicated generally by the reference letter D and comprising a wide derrick-like frame that straddles the hopper and between one upright member of which and the hopper a wagon is adapted to be driven, and then, by means of the flexible connection that is carried by the wagon hoist, so tipped as to discharge its load into the ho per. As such wagon hoist, however, may e of any desired construction, and is not essential to an embodiment of our improvements both as to mechanism and method, it is not deemed necessary to here enter into a detailed description of the construction thereof. We call attention, however, to the fact that by means of a shaft 96 that is connected at one end by a universal coupling with a driven shaft on the supporting frame 16, and by another universal coupling with a shaft carrying one of the gearmembers that control the 1 .clutch being employed of course in connection with the wagon hoist mechanism, as the power for such hoisting is only required at It is because 'of the fact that the beets will ordinarily be dumped into the hopper directly from a wagon that we prefer to.

employ a construction of hopper that com prisesthe hinged sides 43 that will have their upper edge portions always held .by the springs 45 in close contact with the side of of the conveyor in that hopper. The object of this construction is tojprevent the clogging and probable mutilation of the beets that might occur if the space between the inclined bottoms 34 were of uniform width fro'in endbeets that was deposited in the hopper has been passed on to and elevated by the conveyor in the elevator B, the soil from such beets will have been deposited in such raised receptacle so that the Wagon that brought the beets to the apparatus can be moved into position to have the soil in the said receptacle dumped into the wa on. The beet growerthus is assured of having returned to him the full weight of the soil that has been separated from his'particular load of beets and is thus enabled to accurately check the net weight of the load of beets that he has delivered.

to end of the-hopper. With the' grad ally The thorough separation of the soil from widening space that is provided the beets at the bottom of the mass, notwithstanding the 'weight 'of the superimposed beets,'do not wedge or bind, but may be moved along uniformly and with-practically no damage to them.

The operation of the several members of the mechanism has been rather fully described in connection with the description of the structures, and it is therefore believed not necessary to here describe the operation of the mechanism as a whole, but it will be appreciated that by the operation of the several conveyor elements a load of beets deposited in the hopper in the manner described will be cleansed from dirt by the method herein before described, and that the cleansed beets will be gradually conveyed from the hopper and deposited in the lower end of the elevator B to be conveyed to the desired point. The

soil dislodged from the beets will sift through. between the slats 37 of the raised or false be carried up by such buckets and deposited in the movable receptacle 77 in the upper portion of the tower. It will be noted that the apparatus described operates to deliver the mass of beets to the elevator B gradually, and also to gradually remove from the space below the hopper the soil removed from the beets and deliver it to the hoisting mechanism in the tower' member C, and this gradual movement of the beets and soil is an important feature of our invention. It would require a very large, strongapparatus to elevate the beets as a mass, and'it would also require a very strong, heavy mechanism to move in one-mass all of the loose earth removed from the beets. By doing this work gradually, however, the burden imposed on the apparatus is greatly reduced, and it becomes practicable to effect the delivery of the beets in one direction and of the soil in another directionby the use of a single endless conveyor. By the time the load of the beets is highly desirable also because of the fact that if beetswith soil adhering to them are allowed to remain in piles for a considerable time they are more apt to spoil :by' reason of becoming heated and fermentation setting in. whereas with the soil removed spaces for the circulation of air be- 'dirt removed from the beets to ass through it, whether such false bottom e a moving part of the conveyor by which the lowermost beets are withdrawn from thehopper or not, although we prefer to use a stationary false bottom as shown and described.

What we claim'as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An apparatus for separating dirt from beets and like articles, comprising in combination 'a horizontally elongated receptacle adapted to contain the articles in mass, means underlying and forming a horizontally elongated bottom for said receptacle which supports the articles therein in mass while permitting matter separated from such articles to pass therethrough, means under said receptacle for removing the separated material, and means for moving the lowermost of such articles longitudinally of said receptacle substantially horizontally under and relatively to the mass of overlying articles, and out of the receptacle.

2. An apparatus for separating dirt from beets and like articles, comprising in combination a horizontally elongated, receptacle adapted to contain the articles in mass, a substantially horizontal elongated reticulated false bottom for said-receptacle, that serves to support the articles therein in mass while permitting matter separated from-such articles to pass thereth-rough, means under said receptacle for removing the separated material, and means for continuously moving the lowermost of such articles longitudinally of said false bottom substantially horizontally under and relatively to the mass of articles superimposed thereon, and out of .the receptacle.

3. An apparatus for separating dirt from beets and like articles, comprising in combination a horizontally elongated receptacle adapted to contain the articles in mass a substantially horizontal reticulated false bottom for said receptacle substantially coequal in length therewith and serving to support the articles therein in mass, and-means for continuously moving the lowermost of the mass of articles within said receptacle longitudinally of said false bottom substantially hori' zontally under and relatively to the articles superimposed in mass thereon, and out of the receptacle.

4. An apparatus for separating dirt from beets and like articles, comprising in combi-.

nation a horizontally elongated receptacle adapted to contain the articles in mass, a substantially horizontal elongated reticulated false bottom for said receptacle that serves to support the articles therein while permitting matter separated from such articles to pass therethrough, and an endless conveyor having its upper flight arranged to move substantially horizontally longitudinally of said false bottom to move the lowermost of the mass of articles within the receptacle longitudinally of the false bottom under and relatively to the articles superimposed in mass thereon, and out of the receptacle.

5. An apparatus for separating dirt from beets and like articles, comprising in combination a horizontally elongated receptacle having downwardly converging side members, a substantially horizontal reticulated false bottom extending longitudinally of said receptacle adjacent to the lower margins of said side members, and adapted to support the articles in said receptacle in mass while permitting matter separated from such articles to pass therethrough, and means for moving the lowermost of such'articles longitudinally of said false bottom substantially horizontally under and relatively to the articles superimposed in mass thereon, and out of the receptacle.

6. An apparatus for separating dirt from beets and like articles, comprising in combination a horizontally elongated receptacle having downwardly converging side members, a substantially horizontal reticulated false bottom extending longitudinally of said receptacle adjacent to'the lower margins of said side members, and adapted to support the articles in said receptacle in mass while permitting matter separated from such articles to pass therethrough, an endless conveyor having its upper flight arranged to move longitudinallv of said false bottom to move the articles thereon substantially horizontally under and relatively to the articles superimposed in mass thereon, and out of the receptacle.

r 7. .In an apparatus ofthe class described, the combination'with an elongated receptacle having downwardly converging side members, the lower marginal ortions of said side members being arrange direction ofmovement of the articles, of a reticulated false bottom extending longitudinally of said receptacle adjacent to the lower margins of said side members, and

adapted tqsupportthe articles in said re-i ceptacle in mass, and means for movin the lowermost of such articles longitudina y of said false bottom under and relatively to the mass of articles superimposed thereon, and out of the receptacle.

8. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with an elongated receptacle havin downwardly converging side members, t e lower marginal ortions of said side members being arrange to diverge in the direction of movement of the articles, of a reticulated false bottom extending longitu dinally of said receptacle adjacent to the lower margins of said side members, and adapted to support the articles in' said receptacle in mass, an endless conveyor having its upper flight arranged to move longitudinally of said false bottom to move the articles thereon under and relatively to the mass of suplerimposed articles, and out of the receptac e.

9. An apparatus for separating dirt from beets and like articles, comprising in combination a horizontally elongated receptacle adapted to contain the articles to be treated,

to diverge in the,

a stationary substantially horizontal ,reticuously removing the matter separated from said articles, in the opposite direction.

10. An apparatus for separating dirt from beets and like articles, comprising in combination a horizontally elongated receptacle adapted to contain the articles to be treated, a stationary substantially horizontal reticulated false bottom for said receptacle adapted to support the articles in mass while ermitting matter separated from such articles to pass therethrough, and an endless conveyor having its upper flight arranged to move the articles on said false bottom longitudinally of and out of said receptacle, and a trough below said receptacle for the reception of the matter removed from said articles, the lower flight of said conveyor being arranged to move such matter longitudinally of said trough in a direction opposite to-that in which the articles are moved.

11. An apparatus for separating dirt from beets and like articles, comprising in combination a frame, a horizontally elongated hopper mounted on said frame, said hopper being open at the top; a substantially horizontalreticulated false bottom for said hopperextending throughout the length thereof, and adapted to support the articles insaid hopper, a trough mounted on said frame under said false bottom to receive the matter separated from the articles in the hopper, and means carried-b said frame for moving the lowermost artic es in said ho per substantially horizontally lon 'tudina 1y thereof to withdraw them from t e ho per, and means for. continuously removing t e matter deposited in said trough.

a "12. An apparatus for separating dirt from beets and like articles, Comprising in combination a frame, a horizontally elongated hopper mounted on said frame, said hopper being open at the top, a substantially horizontal reticulated false bottom for said hopper. extending throughout the length thereof, and adapted-to support the articles in said hopper, a trough mounted on said frame under said false bottom to receive the matter separated from the articles in the hopper, means carried by said frame for moving the lowermost articles in said hopper substantially horizontally longitudinally thereof to withdraw them from the hopper, and means for continuously removing in the opposite direction the matter deposited in said trough.

13. An apparatus for separating dirt from beets and like, articles, comprising in combination a frame, a horizontally elongated hopper mounted on said frame, said hopper being open at the top, a substantially horizontal reticulated false bottom for said hopper extending throughout the length thereof,.iand adapted to support the articles in saidhopper, a trough mounted on said frame under said false bottom to receive the matter separated from the articles in the hopper, and a conveyor for moving the lowermost articles in said hopper substantially horizon tally longitudinally thereof to withdraw them from the hopper, and for continuously removing in the opposite direction the matter deposited in said trough.

14. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a frame, of an elongated hopper mounted on said frame, said hopper being open at the top, a reticulated false bottom for said hopper extending throughout the length thereo and adapted to? support the articles in said hopper, a trough mounted-on said frame under said false bottom to receive the matter separated from the articles in the hopper, means carried'by said frame for moving the lowermost articles in said hopper longitudinally thereof to withdraw them from the hopper, means for continuously removing in the opposite direction the matter deposited in said trough, elevatingmeans mounted on said frame for receiving and elevating the matter deposited in said trough, and a tiltable receptacle supported by said frame and arranged to re ceive the material from said elevating means.

15. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a frame, of an elongated hopper mounted on said frame, said hopper being open at the top, a reticulated false bottom for said hopper extending throughout the length thereof and adapted to support the articles in said hopper, a troug mounted on said frame under said false bottom to receive the matter separated from the articles in the hopper, a conveyor for moving the lowermost articles in said' hopper longitudinally thereof to withdraw them from the hopper, and for continuously removing in the opposite direction the matter deposited in said trough, elevating means mounted on said frame for receiving and elevating the matter deposited in said trough, and a tiltable receptacle supported by said frame and arranged to receive the material from said elevating means.

16. An apparatus for separating dirt from beets and like articles, comprising in combination a supporting frame, a stationary hopper mounted thereon and adapted to contain a mass of beets, a tower mounted on said frame, a tiltable receptacle mounted on said tower and adapted to discharge into a vehicle alongside the same, an elevator for delivering dirt to said receptacle, and means carried by said frame and operating to effeet the separation of the dirt from the beets and to deliver the dirt to said elevator.

17. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with'a supporting frame, of a stationary hopper mounted thereon and adapted to contain a mass of beets, a tower mounted on said frame, areceptacle mounted on the tower and arranged to tilt toward either side of said frame, an elevator for delivering dirt to said receptacle, and means carried by said frame and operating to effect the separation of the dirt from the beets and to. deliver the dirt to said elevator.

18. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a supporting frame, of a stationary hopper mounted thereon and adapted to contain a mass of beets, a tower mounted on said frame, a tiltable receptacle mounted on said tower, an elevator for delivering dirt to said receptacle, comprising an endless conveyor traveling over said receptacle, and buckets carried by said conveyor and arranged to dump their contents thereinto, and means carried by said frame and operating to effect the separation of the dirt from the beets and to deliver the dirt to said elevator.

19. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a supporting frame, of a stationary hopper mounted thereon and adapted to contain a mass of beets, a tower guided b mounted on said frame, oppositely inclined tracks mounted on said tower at op osite sides thereof, a, receptacle supporte and said tracks to tilt toward either side of t e frame, means for holding said receptacle in a horizontal position and o erable to permit the same to tilt in either imotion, and means carried by said frame for separating the dirt from the beets and delivering it to said receptacle.

20. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a supporting frame, of a stationary hopper mounted thereon and adapted to contain a mass of beets, a tower mounted on said frame, oppositely inclined tracks at opposite sides of said tower, a receptacle having centrally disposed wheels adapted to run on said tracks, whereby said receptacle may tilt to discharge its load at either side of the frame, means for limiting the tilting of said receptacle in either direction, means for holding said receptacle in its load receiving position, and means carried by said frame for separating the dirt from the beets and delivering it to said receptacle.

21. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a supporting frame, of a stationary hopper mounted thereon and adapted to contain a mass of beets, a tower mounted on said frame, oppositely inclined tracks at opposite sides of said tower, a receptacle having centrally disposed wheels adapted to run on said tracks, whereby said receptacle may tilt to discharge its load at either side of the frame, Wheels carried by the opposite end portions of said receptacle, oppositely inclined pairs of tracks between which the latter wheels run, means for holding the receptacle in its load receiving posi-' tion, and means carried by said frame for separating the dirt from the beets and delivering it to said receptacle.

22. In an apparatus of the class described,

the combination with a supporting frame,

of a stationary hopper mounted thereon and adapted to contain a mass of beets, a tower mounted on said frame, a tiltable receptacle mounted on said tower to tilt in opposite directions from its load receiving position, said receptacle having a bottom comprising hinged end portions adapted to swing upward to form ends for said receptacle, means for normally holding said receptacle in its load receiving osition, and means carried by said frame or separating the dirt from the beets and delivering it to said receptacle.

23. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a supporting frame, of a stationary hopper mounted thereon and adapted to contain a mass of beets, a tower mounted on said frame, a receptacle mounted on said tower to tilt toward either side of the frame, means for normally holding said receptacle in its load receiving position, a

on said tower to travel toward either side thereof and simultaneously tilt to discharge its load, means for holding said receptacle in its load receiving position and operable to permit the receptacle to travel and tilt in either direction, and means carried by said frame for separating the dirt from the beets and delivering it to said receptacle.

25. In an apparatus of the class described the combination with a supporting frame, 0 a stationary hopper mounted thereon and adapted to contain a mass of beets, a tower mounted on said frame, a receptacle mounted on said tower to travel toward either side thereof and simultaneously tilt to discharge its load, means for holding said receptacle in its load receiving position and operable to permit the receptacle to travel and tilt in either direction, a spring operating to return the receptacle to its load receiving position, and means carried by said frame for separating the dirt from the beets and delivering it to said receptacle.

26. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a supporting frame, of a stationary hopper mounted thereon and adapted to contain a mass of beets, a tower mounted on said frame, a receptacle mounted on said tower to travel toward either side thereof and simultaneously tilt to discharge its load, means for holding said receptacle 1n its load receiving position and operable to permit the receptacle to travel and tilt in either direction, means for limiting the tilting movement of said receptacle, and means carried by said frame for separating the dirt from the beets and delivering it to said receptacle.

27. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a supporting frame, of a stationary hopper mounted thereon and adapted to contain a mass of beets, a tower mounted on said frame, a receptacle mounted on said tower to travel toward either side thereof and simultaneously tilt to discharge its load, means for holding said receptacle in its load receiving position and operable to permit the receptacle to travel and tilt in either direction, a spring operating to return the receptacle to its load receiving position means for limiting the tilting movement of said receptacle, and means carried by said and delivering it tosaid receptacle.,

2.8. The method of handling beets and like articles to remove therefrom the dirt adhering thereto and to deliver thedirt and the beets Separately in a dry state, which consists in dumping a mass of the uncleansed beets into a suitable horizontally elongated receptacle, supporting the mass of beets in i such receptacle from below .so as to permit the dirt separated therefrom to escape from the receptacle by gravity, and moving the beets constituting the lowermost stratum substantially horizontally from under the mass superimposed thereon and out of the receptacle, thereby inducing a commotion in such receptacle from below so as to permit the dirt separated therefrom to escape from the receptacle by gravity, moving the beats,

constituting the lowermost stratum substantially horizontally from under the mass superimposed thereon and out of the receptacle, thereby inducing a commotion in the mass, with consequent loosening of the dirt adhering to the beets, by agitation and the attrition of the beets one upon another, and meanwhile removing the dirt separated from the beets from below the receptacle.

LEONARD B. NEIGHBOUR. FREDERIGK'A. THOMANN. 

